Noticing everything around him is more than a matter of habit for Roland. It is a matter of survival. He twitches when Firo touches him, a whole body twitch, and for a second notices only his own surprise. Then he notices his hand's wrapped around the grip of that gun at his hip, notices it's Firo next to him. He processes the question and notices, vaguely, the way his mind is a little slow to switch tracks from action to speech, one friend speaking to another.

"Different line I'm headed to," he manages, slipping his hand off the gun and looking over the crowd. "Stay close to the peacekeepers, no matter what. You know that, don't you?" That's what he'd told Signless, before he'd been taken away that first time. Thirteen took him. He'd told him to stay close to the peacekeepers. Like a nervous father sending his child away for the first time. Useless. But there's a reason, this time. "They'll be the first to evacuate, once it's time. Once the avalanche starts. You'll do that, won't you?"

Roland's gaze swings from the crowd to Firo, one of his hands grips at Firo's arm and he stares at him. Roland won't accept a no.